Losers
by BlueEyedDayDreamer
Summary: Frida has gotten a hold on Miracle City, and rules it with an iron fist. Manny is driven out of the city, and wanted as a criminal... But what will happen when Frida catches him? MannyXFrida HINTS of one sided MannyXZoe T for blood not finishing this
1. Wanted

I looked left then right as I ducked into the dark alley. I turned more than once, just to be absolutely sure I was not being followed. The pain in my feet thudded against the pavement as I ran swiftly but silently through the musty-smelling place. I wondered absentmindedly about my ability to sneak quietly without a sound. It might have been the tiger genes, but I couldn't tell anymore. I was too mixed up to care about my alternate personalities now. The slightest rustle of oncoming wind, or soft clang of a hungry animal rummaging about in the dumpster frightened me. This was because I knew _she_ was coming.

She'd caught up to me many times, yes, but I vowed that this time would be different. I used the utmost care to grapple myself up onto the nearest building to get my bearings. It would be difficult to hide from her up here in plain sight, but I thought that with my seeing abilities it would only take half a second. As soon as I could see escondite, I began my leaping descent to the outskirts of the city. Each time my boots hit the solid material of a rooftop, my heart raced faster and pounded against the inside of my chest. My body kept tensing for attack, even though it was highly unlikely that she'd seen me.

To me it felt almost natural now, jumping across buildings in a single bound. This was just another one of those powers that evolved as time went on, and I was getting used to it more and more with all of the escapes I have to make now. She'd been too powerful for my father and granpapi combined. It was no use fighting against her myself since I found that it tore at my heartstrings to raise a claw in her direction. I remembered that day clearly...

* * *

The sun was shining brightly, another typical day in Miracle City. As my best friend Frida Suarez-A lump rose in my throat as I thought of her-and I were walking home from school, we spotted El Oso, a rotten flea-ridden villain, running down the street with two large bags of stealings. I scowled, spinning my belt buckle. With a loud roar, I transformed into El Tigre, pouncing on El Oso with claws extended. I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder to check if Frida was okay. After a heated battle with El Oso, he sank to his knees, crying. Automatically, Frida was at his side, comforting him.

"Oh, shhshhshh... It's okay Oso..." She murmured, patting him on his hairy head. She threw me a quick glance of disapproval.

I rolled my eyes, walking forward. "C'mon Frida, you can't really be feeling bad for _El Oso_, can you?" I asked doubtfully.

Her behavior was typical, I thought. This usually happened whenever I got a little too carried away with my crime-fighting. Although she didn't seem to care if anyone got hurt when we were the ones _committing_ the crimes. She looked at me with disappointed eyes, still patting the sniffling El Oso.

"Manny, villains need love too." She said defiantly, closing her eyes. She held her face to the sky, almost arrogant.

I sighed. "He'll get 'love' in jail, Frida. We have to take him there." I said, plopping my arms to my sides, making sure to retract my claws first.

Frida looked at me directly now, eyes open this time. "Y'know what? I'm going to give him _proper_ care. I'm taking him home with me." She said, determined. She patted El Oso's shoulder lovingly. "Let's go, Oso."

El Oso looked up at Frida innocently and nodded.

To my disbelief, Frida took the villain by the finger and walked him down the street towards her house. "Are you loco? Your dad's el jefe de policía!" I exclaimed, running out in front of her, blocking the way.

"Manny, it's for a good cause." Frida said calmly, and merely walked past me silently, El Oso in tow.

For the next few days, it seemed like Frida was spending more time with El Oso than with me. I got somewhat used to her not being around, and lived out those days alone. Of course I had my family, but I tended to pay them less attention with Frida not there. If that wasn't enough, I started noticing changes in Frida's behavior. She was becoming more and more like a bully than the kind girl I'd known before. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see kids avoiding her wrath as much as possible. I saw that she wore a certain black jacket with her name written across the back in diamond letters every single day.

Then one day, out of the blue, Frida rang my doorbell. I answered it, expecting some sort of peddler of some kind, and I gasped when I saw the blue-haired girl at my doorstep. "Um... Hi?" I said halfheartedly, watching her moves closely.

She was peering over my shoulder now, trying desperately to see into the house behind me. Finally she focused in on my face. "Is your family here?" She asked, cocking her head to one side slightly.

"Yes, but..." I started. Why would she want to know?

"Cool! Let's have some fun, buddy!" Frida exclaimed, pulling me by the arm into the living room. The minute she saw my dad and granpapi, her eyes narrowed and she let go of my arm. She peered around the room nervously now, glancing from time to time at the people in the room. She fidgeted with the collar of her jacket, almost seeming like she was trying to rip it off. Her expression said that, too, but I couldn't imagine why.

With a gasp, she suddenly dropped her hands from the collar, her arms falling loosely at her sides. I watched in horror as her eyes turned blood red. She shoved me out of the way, lunging at my family.

"Frida...!?" I stuttered, still in shock. I saw her attacking them, and they transformed into their alter egos. Puma Loco and White Pantera faced off against the marauding Frida with narrowed eyes.

To my surprise, I could only stand rooted to the spot. I was frozen, and couldn't make my hands reach the belt buckle that would possibly save us.

With a great kick, Frida sent them both flying against the back wall, forcing them back to their normal forms. She turned to me, her eyes burning with rage. For a moment, they returned to their blue color, and she lost her offensive position. "Manny... I'm... So-sorr..." She whispered, but the red flames rose in her eyes once more. She turned and pounced on my dad and granpapi, taking their objects of power. As I watched, she put on granpapi's sombrero and my dad's boots. Having these ultimate powers as her own now, she moved in on me, smiling strangely.

I backed away a bit, turning into El Tigre now. But I couldn't bring myself to fight her. Why? I jumped out of the building, the only escape route being a window. I made a hard landing on a windowsill, dropping to the street soon after. I sat there rubbing my head for a while. I looked up, seeing Frida's shape flying down toward me, the same flames burning in her eyes. I stood and ran as fast as I could, not ever looking behind me.

* * *

On the outskirts of town, I'd found a cave I could hide out in. I lived out my days foraging for food and such in the city when I could, seeing as how Frida had taken it over with her unstoppable powers. It was sort of ironic, prowling about and hunting for food. At least I got more in touch with my tiger-self. My hearing abilities were enhanced, as I was always trying to avoid the screams of city folk pointing me out.

Yes, Frida had put posters all over the buildings advertising me as a wanted criminal. Again, very ironic as _she_ was the overlord of all of this. I had to avoid being seen at all costs, or I was taken by Frida's skeleton banditos that she'd acquired when she'd defeated Sartana of The Dead. I knew the only reason she wanted me was to get a hold of my belt, and that was the only thing I would _not _give to anyone.


	2. Loss of Concsiousness

I reached the entrance to my hideaway cave, which I called escondite fondly. This was my getaway- my place to relax when no one wanted me anywhere else. If someone learned of this place, I would be caught and taken to Frida in an instant. It was as simple as this: I could never see her again.

At that thought, I ducked into the small opening, taking in the now musty and brimstone-smelling air. I'd lit a fire only half an hour ago; an attempt at cooking a rabbit I'd found on one of my hunts. It was very strange to be doing this, running around at night scavenging for food like a rat. It almost seemed like I was the last sane person on Earth, or at least in Miracle City.

Now and again, I thought of how it used to be- running around with no care in the world, doing whatever I fancied at the time. And most of all that I was running around like this with_ Frida_. It always made my throat tighten slightly, and my breath came in short gasps. The sorrow was all but too much for me to handle, but there were more important things to attend to.

These days it was much different than before. By day, I'd sit in my cave with nothing to do, no villains to fight, no trouble to cause. By night, I'd sneak out carefully as I could and hunt for my dinner, or the next morning's breakfast. When I found nothing to eat, I would sit alone and listen to the angry rumbling of my empty stomach painfully rock me to sleep. The care that I hadn't had before this crisis was obviously my survival. And I wasn't prepared for it, either.

At times I'd wake up and find myself in my normal state, but most of the time I'd run around as El Tigre. It was almost as if _this _was my default personality now; I was getting so used to it. And my powers kept getting stronger.

One night I found myself jumping from building to building without using my grapple-hand, and another I'd discovered that my claws could cut through almost anything- I'd split a cement block in two. This lifestlye was growing on El Tigre-I had to call my alter ego a different person now, as it seemed that way-, and speeding up my powers' development stages ten fold.

It was a Saturday-or maybe a Sunday? I had lost count- and I was starving. I hadn't had any dinner or breakfast, and my stomach rolled uncomfortably. I decided the only thing left to do was hunt, and I stood up shakily, almost spinning my belt buckle. Realizing that I was already El Tigre, I left the cave quickly, sneaking off into the trees that grew behind escondite.

Some people might have considered my current eating habits revolting, but if they were in these conditions, they'd gladly do it with a smile. I crouched low to the ground, hiding behind the nearest bush. I extended my claws, ready to pounce on whatever moved. When I did see something, I dived on it with a low growl. I smashed into it- hard.

As I stood, expecting to see some fox or rabbit that I'd mutilated in my attack, I gasped in shock. Instead of a helpless dead animal, Django of the Dead lay in front of me, rubbing his head angrily. Django was the grandson of Sartana of the Dead, a villain I'd faced many times before. I backed away one step, letting the skeleton stand up.

He picked up his hat-it had fallen off when I'd pounced on him-and put it on his skull. He looked up into my face, surprised. "El Tigre?" He asked in disbelief.

I smiled brightly, happy that someone was finally talking to me- it had been months. "Hi, Django!" I exclaimed, grinning wider now. I hardly noticed that my voice came out cracked and worn, I hadn't used it in so long. Of course, this was not counting the growls and roars that often escaped my lips now and again. This was a new development as well. The tiger genes seemed to be getting stronger.

"What are you doing out here? Don't you know _she_ is lurking around in this forest?" Django said, peering over his shoulder nervously.

"She is? Follow me." I said, equally scared. I ran swiftly and silently back to escondite, leading Django to the entrance. "In here, in here." I directed, looking around as I waved him inside the round opening.

He hurried in, and I followed hastily, blocking the makeshift door with ferns that grew above the hole. I saw Django staring around at the high ceilings of the cavern in awe. I smiled proudly and strolled to the center of the room. "Nice, huh?" I said grinning in his direction.

"Yeah." Django breathed, still looking around, amazed. "How did you find it?"

"I guess it was instinct." I said smugly, admiring it for myself now.

Suddenly I remembered the questions I was going to ask him. "How did you get away from _her_?" I asked. I didn't dare say Frida's name out loud, thinking that I might tear up like I did when I was alone. I wasn't going to show any weakness around Django. I had reasons to be suspicious of him.

"After Frida beat Sartana, I escaped. I've been hiding out in the woods ever since." Django said, shaking his fist in a silent curse at the mention of my former best friend.

I sucked in a short breath of air, then exhaled it slowly, holding back the lump her name caused in my throat. When would this feeling end? It seemed like her memory was locking me inside sorrow like a thorn-covered cage. Miserable at the best. "I got away after she defeated my family... I guess I was just fast." I said, trying to be modest as I could.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Django demanded, looking at my with lowered eyebrows. His eye sockets narrowed, obviously angry.

I couldn't tell him the truth. That her face, her smile, her voice, even the mere mention of her name made me break down in agony. I began to sweat uncomfortably. "Well, I..." I started, letting an idea worm it's way into my head. "I didn't want her to get my belt. She would have gotten it if I hadn't ran." I said, smiling proudly now.

Django's eye sockets loosened, and his gaze became more relaxed. He sat down on a rock nearby, frowning. "I couldn't find my granmami." He said quietly, obviously mourning the loss of the family member.

I sighed. "I haven't seen my family, either." I confessed, taking a seat next to him on a slightly sharper rock. I winced and adjusted my tail, making it so that it wasn't being sat on. The pain slowly faded and I relaxed my muscles, lowering into a comfortable slump.

The skeleton looked up at me, worried. "Do you think we'll ever find them?" Django asked, frowning a little less now. He looked like a small child missing his mother; lost in the grocery store or something juvenile like that.

"I don't know, Django." I sighed, standing up now. "But I'm hungry. You want-" I started, but I saw the look on his face and realized that the dead don't exactly eat. I grinned slightly. "Yeah. Sorry." I said, turning and swiftly jumping out of the cavern. I extended my claws, looking left and right. Suddenly I heard the faint clink of bones nearby, and I ducked behind some of the thick ferns.

Peering between the stringy fronds, I could see a skeleton bandito walking through the trees. I could also hear shouting behind it. High-pitched... Overbearing... Shouting. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. I grasped it in pain and sank to my knees, making sure to still be covered by the ferns. I managed through the pain to see clearly, watching in horror as the bandito approached escondite.

I stopped breathing, stopped moving. The pain in my chest rocketed higher as I saw that there were _three_ banditos coming. With a strike of pain like a whip to my heart, I heard it. A voice, the same as before, cut through the trees and into the clearing.

"STOP! Look around, search for any signs of life." The high-pitched person demanded.

I saw the skeletons look behind them and nod. They began to search through the area, not bothering to check the ferns. I sighed in relief before the pain rose higher than ever. I gasped shortly, clutching at my chest.

This time I had heard the clink of boots. The Bronze Boots of Truth. It couldn't be; it was impossible. Had she really found me? I shrank back against the hard rock of escondite.

"_Hurry up!_ I don't have all _day_!" The voice yelled out.

_"Ack_." I squeaked, falling over onto my side. I knew they had heard me because of the scrape of the turning skulls. The clink of my father's boots moved closer, getting louder with each step.

I breathed in and out slowly. Suddenly, my world came crashing down as the ferns were pulled away. I looked up weakly and saw _her_ face. Frida's face. Looking down at me.

"F-Fri... ARGH!" I screamed out, feeling as if someone had punched me as hard as they could in my stomach.

She sneered down at me, lifting me up by the collar. When we were at eye level, she dropped he onto my wobbly legs. "Well, well, well. Look what we have _here_." She smirked. "I can see that this has been working out well." She noted, looking at me up and down.

With the last of my strength, I spun my belt buckle and returned to my normal state, feeling my world go dark with the sound of Django's yell of anger, "El Tigre- WHAT!?"

Then I passed out.


	3. Captured

I blinked my eyes several times, groggy. If anyone had ever been too tired to move, I knew this was what it would feel like. When I did come to enough to move my fingers a bit, I found that my hand was also moving. It was then that I realized that my arms would not budge. Neither would my legs- only my feet. I opened my eyes fully, looking down. My wrists and ankles were chained to whatever was behind me-I didn't dare look back-, and my back and neck ached severely.

So she had found me. Caught me and taken me to wherever her lair was. I looked at my surroundings as secretly as possible. Terror rose in my chest as I realized where I was. In my own home.

This sent my mind spiraling into a state of utter shock. What kind of sick person would take a person who'd been gone for so long and imprison them in their home? I shuddered, seeing the wreckage on one side of the room. This obviously was where she had defeated my family. I saw the couch, the TV, even the door to my room without a scratch.

But maybe she'd intended it to be like this. Maybe she'd left the one thing that would remind me of my family the way it was after she attacked them. She just wanted me to be in pain. This was agonizing, I had to admit. I missed them too much for words.

Just then, I froze. My heavy breathing stopped, and I looked down. It wasn't there. She had taken my belt while I was out. I sucked in a short breath of air, and I worked up the nerve to speak. "F-... Frida?" I asked aloud, hearing it come out as more of a squeak.

She was there in a split second. The most glorious sight for sore eyes. I would have smiled if it wasn't for the red that burned in her eyes. I noticed something else; She was wearing the belt. I gasped, taken aback. She hadn't hesitated to put it on, I knew.

"Manny. I'm so glad you're here." Frida said, smiling warmly. It was almost as if she was back to normal. But the jacket remained. It was there on her shoulders, the material shining in the light.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting braver now.

"I already have what I wanted." Frida smirked, stroking the belt fondly.

My cheeks blazed. "Give it _back_." I hissed between my teeth. Getting angry was the only way I could hold back the tears that were on their way. I gritted my teeth, feeling the hot liquid forming at the corners of my eyes.

Frida laughed. "Why should I? You're _powerless_ now. And I'm far too happy ruling the city to care." She smiled, but something deep down in her tone said that she wasn't all that happy.

I raised an eyebrow that I realized had been furrowed quite deeply in my attempt to keep the tears from coming. "Oh really." I said without emotion. "Then why did you keep me here?" I asked, still trying to sound uninterested.

She frowned, as if trying to make me feel bad. Then she grinned smugly. "I have a job for you." She said.

I moved my neck to rest against what I realized was a wall that I was chained to. "What is it?" I asked, suddenly exhausted. I let my muscles relax.

Frida merely laughed. "Obviously, you'll tend to the prisoners." She chuckled, taking one step closer to me.

This made me uncomfortable, so I pressed my body closer to the wall. Seeing her face was the only thing that kept me from snapping to the point of insanity. I kept my eyes locked on hers, and she moved even closer. I gulped. "P-Prisoners?" I asked in a shaky voice. I didn't know she had that much mercy. But maybe... The real Frida was somewhere inside. I clung onto that hope with all of my might, swallowing hard as I prepared for the inevitable answer I was going to receive.

To my surprise, she unshackled me. She probably knew that I was defenseless now. I had no choice but to stand at attention, not wanting to make her angry. Not with all of the power she had now. "They're at the bottom level. I'll have my banditos escort you." Frida smiled, waving the skeletons forward. They led me forward, towards the door. I looked over my shoulder more than once to watch Frida. I couldn't make myself stop thinking about her. Now that I'd actually seen her, heard her... It was the most horrific pain that streaked through me every ten seconds or so. When would the torment end?

A bandito jabbed me in the back, pushing me forward to a large tunnel that went straight down. 'They're going to make me jump...' I thought, frightened. In my normal state I wasn't sure if I could sustain the injuries it would cause if I landed hard.

Suddenly, a round platform, the exact size of the hole, rose up carrying a few banditos. They walked off single file, possibly going to attend to Frida. The same bandito shoved me onto the platform, and walked onto it after me. My stomach lurched as we sailed downward at top speed. The skeletons seemed used to it, but I found myself holding down what little food I'd eaten lately.

We sped past the floors, seeing people on every level, all wearing the same uniform. It was odd, sort of like normal clothing. Jeans, a striped yellow and orange shirt, a black jacket... I gasped as I realized that this was _my_ outfit. The only thing that was different was the pair of goggles that each person wore on their head. Exactly like the ones Frida used to wear before getting my granpapi's sombrero.

We came to an abrupt halt, and I looked around me curiously. There were cells lining a dark gray hallway. Light bulbs hung 6 feet apart or so on the ceiling, barely illuminating the cells in between. I gulped as the bandito reached into his pocket, pulling something red out. A pair of goggles. I sucked in a short breath of air. This, of course, reminded me of what life _used _to be like. I stared at the goggles for a moment, my heart aching. The bandito grunted and shoved them into my bewildered arms. He looked at me expectantly, and I knew at once what he wanted of me. I quietly put the goggles on, pulling the strap to fit around my curls. I knew I probably looked ridiculous.

The bandito pushed me off of the platform and it sped away, taking the skeletons with it. I stared up after it for a while, then turned and felt a shiver go up and down my spine as I heard a moan coming from one of the cells. Frida obviously did not treat her prisoners that well.


	4. Prisoners

I gasped as I heard a beeping noise just above me. I realized that I was bathed in an eerie red light. Looking up, I could see that the goggles were flashing. When they finally stopped, I started walking. I couldn't stop walking. I frantically tried to make my muscles move, but they kept on doing what they were doing. I walked over to a slot in the far wall, a space where there were no cells. I saw that a small plate was sitting there on what seemed like a windowsill.

It must've been dinnertime for the inmates. It seemed that tonight's special was some kind of unrecognizable orange mush. My arm reached out and I grabbed the plate; Another thing I didn't control. I walked down the row of cells, coming to the exact one that I'd heard the groan come from. I peered inside as I automatically stood in front of it.

It was Django. He sat there, missing one arm. I tried to gasp, do anything, but I wasn't in control here. The goggles were. Or more accurately, Frida was. Django looked up at me with tired eye sockets. "El Tigre?" He said weakly. I hadn't ever told him my real name. He crawled forward slowly, using his one arm to drag him along. He gripped one of the iron bars, staring up at me. Powerless. Frida must've taken _his_ mystic guitar, too.

I tried desperately to reply. I thought the words as loud as I could. 'Django. Django, what happened?' But nothing came out of my lips. I gasped mentally as I heard myself speak, using a gruff tone I'd never heard before. "Eat." I commanded darkly. I opened the iron bars just a crack and slid the plate in before slamming the door shut again.

Even my expression was controlled. I could feel that I was frowning, eyebrows lowered into a glare. I was trapped inside of myself. I turned suddenly and went back to the windowsill for more food. This time, I approached another cell, one across from Django's. Inside, I gulped.

Zoë Aves lay in front of me in this cell. She was battered and bruised and missing her wristwatch. She looked up at me with sparkling eyes. "El Tigre..." She trailed off, a tear dripping down her cheek.

'Zoë, did she get your powers? Are you okay?' I thought frantically. But again, I opened the bars and shoved the plate towards her with a scowl. She looked up at me, tears streaming down her face.

"So... So she got you, too..." Zoë whispered, clutching her chest.

I could only close the bars and walk away, a lump rising in my throat. Now I was getting worried about how much power Frida must have. Zoë, Django, my dad, granpapi, Sartana and I had all been stripped of our powers. Frida wielded them now, and I could only stand back and watch as she destroyed everything I loved, including herself.

Now the goggles flashed again, and I fell over. I wasn't ready to be put back into control. I stood up slowly, thinking. I could take the goggles off. Frida couldn't control me forever. I pulled at the strap, and instantly regretted it. A shock of electricity rocketed down my spine, knocking me backwards. "Agh!" I screamed out, landing with a thud on the concrete floor.

Taking them off was out. I sat in this crumpled position for a long while, thinking. Suddenly, an idea struck me. I would gather as much information as possible from the prisoners when I was in control, and wait it out while Frida moved me around like a puppet.

I stood up, grinning slightly. I was proud of myself for making such a great plan. I approached Django's cell quietly. There, I opened the bars and closed them behind me quietly. I sat down with crossed legs next to him, smiling. "Hola." I said quietly, feeling bad about how I'd acted before.

* * *

Elsewhere...

Frida grinned evilly, looking at the security camera that had just picked up movement. She zoomed in, seeing Django and Manny talking quietly.

"Should I go down there and stop him?" A bandito asked in a gruff voice. Frida could tell that he really wanted to.

"No. Let him play his little game. I have plans for him." Frida smirked, if it was only at the corner of her lips.

The bandito shrugged, walking away.


	5. Enfermo

Back in Django's cell...

I watched Django's face closely, seeing a glint in his searing red eyes. He didn't trust me, I could tell. I sighed, folding my hands in my lap. "So... About what I said earlier... I didn't mean it. It's these-" I started, but another blast of electricity shot through me and I winced back in pain.

Django frowned. "What was that?" He asked, surprised. I could tell he was very confused about all of this.

"Electrocuted. I can't... Agh. Talk about that stuff right now. Not while _she's_ watching us..." I said, cringing back mid sentence. "All I can tell you is that sometimes... I'm not myself. Don't take it personally, I just..." I trailed off, not knowing what else to say at this point.

Django nodded. "So she's controlling you. With the... Goggles?" He whispered. He'd obviously seen me pointing to them before I'd been electrocuted.

I grimaced. "Yep." I said plainly, standing up. I rubbed my back that ached from the electricity. Suddenly, the eerie beeping came again, and I lost control, sinking back into a strange relaxation as I watched the happenings around me.

First, I walked over to a separate cell, one I'd never been to before. I watched in horror as my dad came into view, laying on the hard, dirty ground. I wanted to scream out to him, let him know I was okay. Tell him how happy I was that _he_ was okay.

My dad looked up at me weakly, a smile lighting his not-too-happy face. "Mi hijo. Manny. You're all right." He sighed happily, moving to hold onto the bars.

I didn't want to, but I scowled down at him mercilessly. Suddenly I noticed that he was wearing a collar. A shock collar. Just like the goggles but around his neck. I lifted one goggle from my head, regaining at least my voice for a split second. "Dad, I-" I was cut off by the goggle slapping back down onto my head. My scowl returned and I realized that I was now holding a remote.

To my horror, I pressed the large red button that was inset on the top of the remote. My father fell to the ground, writhing in agony. I could almost see the sparks rising from his tensed body. "Manny...?" He whispered.

Tears wouldn't form in my eyes. I had absolutely no control. Frida was purposely making me watch my father in pain. If that wasn't bad enough, she was making _me _ torture him. I electrocuted him again after he had spoken. I couldn't take this. It was then that I regained control, falling to my knees. After being held back for so long, the tears flowed freely from the corners of my eyes, sliding down my cheeks.

"Dad... I'm so sorry... Frida... She..." I tried desperately to make the words come out, but I kept sobbing in between. I felt my dad's firm hand on my shoulder, and I looked up, blinking tears from my eyes. I saw him looking at me with a warm smile, reaching through the bars awkwardly.

"I know, hijo. I know." He said quietly, looking sternly at the goggles now. I could tell he was thinking.

"She's doing this to me, dad... I've been in and out of control all day..." I mumbled, looking down at my hands. I felt trapped. Like a bird in a cage. It was horrible to even think about.

I lost control just then. I stood and slapped my dad's hand away with a disgusted look on my face. Frida had not liked the way I'd almost given away her plan. Her plan. I _knew_ her plan now. She was going to make me feel awful about myself until I reached the point of insanity. It was a cruel, sick thing, but this was the new Frida we were talking about. It was very likely that this was true.

When I'd been thinking, I had walked over the elevator platform. At least my stomach didn't churn as we-I thought of myself as a different person when I was in this state-rocketed up to the top floor. I peered out through 'his' eyes, watching the people toil away on each level. I wanted to help, but what could I do? I was just a forgotten presence in some guy's head.

I almost laughed mentally as I realized that 'he' needed a name. If 'he' was a different person, I at least needed a term for it when I was this way. It made it easier for the prisoners to distinguish it. Mostly because the beeping and flashing of the goggles had stopped. Frida must have wanted to be discreet about the control.

'What to name him, what to name him...' I thought, not paying attention to the fact that the elevator was still going up. I thought for some time, but finally came up with Enfermo. This of course meant 'sick', or 'ill'. I laughed silently to myself, and waited for the elevator to reach the top.

When it finally did, Enfermo stepped off of the platform and into my living room once more. I saw Frida reclining comfortably on my sofa. Enfermo walked quickly to stand next to her, and she noticed at once, smiling warmly up at us.

Suddenly, Enfermo slipped away, and I felt an angry vibe disappear shortly after. I regained my senses and blinked a few times, looking down at Frida. I blushed, which I shouldn't have. Why did I blush. 'Stupid, stupid...' I thought bitterly.

Frida smiled and patted the cushion next to her. I gulped, remembering the times when we used to sit together and watch movies. On this very couch. I obediently sat down next to her as if Enfermo had never left.

"So, Manny. How has your shift been?" Frida asked, smiling still. But she looked different now. Smug. It didn't seem right at all.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. For some reason I didn't talk. I was mad at myself for this. I worked up the nerve slowly, and it all came out in a rush. "It was horrible. What are you _doing_ to me? Why do you hate me so _much_?" I said through gritted teeth.

Frida frowned now, looking innocent. "Oh, I don't hate you, Manny. I just... Find it... _Interesting _to control you like this. Enfermo." She added that bit at the end, making me gasp.

She'd been reading in on my thoughts with the goggles. High tech. I bit my lip, remembering the thoughts I'd had recently. "Stay out of my head." I hissed slowly.

Frida laughed. "Those goggles look great on you, Enfermo, really." She teased.

"Don't call me that." I growled, but my voice cracked at the end, making it sound broken.

Frida merely reached behind her without taking her red eyes off of me. She grabbed out a remote, similar to the one Enfermo had used on my father. She pressed it lightly, smiling that horrid smug smile again.

Enfermo crawled out of the recesses of my mind to take control. I swore I could hear laughing. My voice. But gruffer, the one _he_ used. His lips turned up into a triumphant smile. "Thanks." He said, still sounding harsh.

'Thanks?' I thought, surprised. 'So he really _is_ me. A different person, but... Me.' This was horrifying. He enjoyed it when Frida let him out? It was like he was in a cage, and when Frida let him out, I was locked in.

A prisoner of my own _mind._


	6. Zoe

Enfermo smirked, seemingly pushing my thoughts aside. He stood now, and dropped his smirk to a scowl. I heard his thoughts perfectly, 'Back to the prisoners.'

It sounded more like a command. Maybe he was thinking what Frida had instructed him with the remote. I had no choice but to shrink back into the farthest reaches of his head, bored.

Once I felt that the elevator had stopped, I moved myself to look through Enfermo's eyes. This was still very strange, and I was getting used to it only in bits. He walked into the dim hallway with the prisoners, and suddenly I heard a thought. 'No. No.'

I was puzzled at first, but then Enfermo faded back into the 'cage'. As I was put back into control, I smiled happily. That was a first. I rushed to Zoë's cell, wanting to talk to her desperately. "Zoë...?" I whispered, not wanting to disturb her.

"Go away, freak." I heard her voice hiss. She thought I was still being controlled.

I moved closer to the cell. "It's okay, Zoë, Enfermo is gone." I said, louder this time. Realizing that she didn't know what this meant, I shook my head. "I mean, I'm back to normal. For now. Can I come in?" I asked.

"Fine." Zoë huffed, coming into view now. She looked up at me with wide, sparkling eyes for a moment, then she lowered her brow when she caught sight of the goggles.

I carefully slid open the bars, walking into the cell. I didn't bother to close them behind me. As I walked to sit down, Zoë shuffled herself with her arms to the farthest corner of the cell. I raised an eyebrow, curious about her behavior. "So, I... I guess I should explain all of this." I started, looking at the ground. When I looked back up, Zoë's eyes were narrowed to small slits as she nodded. "Well, Frida caught me and Django on the outskirts of town," I didn't mention escondite, I would have no one know it's whereabouts except Django. 'I might need it when and _if_ this stuff is over' I thought, and realized that I'd stopped talking while I was thinking.

I looked at Zoë's expectant face and continued carefully. "And she brought us to this place, apparently. Which I can't really remember since..." I paused, thinking about my faint. "Well, anyway, she took my El Tigre belt, and sometimes she controls me." My eyes flitted from Zoë to the goggles on my head.

She caught on and nodded, eyes widening. I could tell she was suspicious about the part I couldn't remember, but she didn't ask which I was grateful for. I didn't need to tell a girl I'd fainted, even if Frida already knew. Zoë seemed to ponder this for a while, then she nodded again, moving closer to me. Was she starting to trust me? I smiled mentally, trying to keep a straight face. This didn't seem real. Zoë always 'hated' me, but now that she was powerless, she acted a lot differently.

"So... At random times?" Zoë asked skeptically. I could see that she only half believed me about the goggles. She shifted her weight so that she was on her knees, looking at me doubtfully. Her half-lidded gaze met mine, and I smiled.

"Only when she wants me to do something for her." I replied, getting to my feet. A sinister feeling came over me as Enfermo came into control. I shrank back into his head, not wanting to see what would happen next. His hand lashed out like a whip, slapping Zoë across the face. She fell over, clutching the now-bleeding bruise left on her cheek.

"...Enfermo, is it? I want... I want you to know... That I hate you. Get _out_ of Manny's head." Zoë hissed, narrowing her eyes once more. She moved her hand away from her face, hoisting herself up to stand at Enfermo's eye level. Her left palm was stained a deep red, and I whirled to look through Enfermo's eyes to see her cut. It seeped the dark liquid, making her cringe every now and again. Her left eye was squeezed shut, I imagined it hurt to open it. This made me feel bad, but Enfermo didn't. He stared at her mercilessly, a wicked smirk forming on his lips.

"That's a nice look for you, sweet-" Enfermo began to call Zoë 'sweetheart' in a gruff tone, but he was cut off. Zoë lifted her blood-stained fist and punched him square in the nose.

As soon as she'd made contact, I was put back in control. "OW!" I screamed out, dropping to me knees. I held my face in my hands, and when I lifted my head, both of my hands were red with blood. _Zoë _had given me a bloody nose. It might've even been _broken. _I stood up slowly, cupping my hand around my nose in pain. "...Good one... Ouch." I struggled to say.

Zoë's eyes immediately lowered to a dull color, somehow. She frowned and looked at me, on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, Manny, I..." She started, but trailed off slowly into a whimper. I saw tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

I let go of my nose, wiping my hand on my pant leg. This removed _some _of the blood, at least. I put my hand on her shoulder, and her eyes sparkled as much as before, putting the tears on hold. "It wasn't your fault. It was Frida. She... Wanted this to happen. And no matter how much we hate it, _she _is in control here." I sighed, letting go of her shoulder when I'd finished.

"I should've known she'd do that... That... That..." Zoë's fists clenched and she spat these words between gritted teeth. She took a step back, sitting down on the floor with her head in her hands. I could tell she didn't care about the dried blood on her hand.

Enfermo lurked back into control, eyebrows lowered. "You really shouldn't have done that, sweetie." He smirked, taking a step forward.

Zoë looked up, half of her face red with blood. Through Enfermo's eyes, I saw hers. They were tired and weak, no longer holding the sparkle I'd seen before. "What...?" She whispered, taking a minute to register that it was Enfermo talking. Her mouth turned into a scowl, eyes glowering up at him.

I apologized silently, but it was trying to be as loud as possible. 'I'm sorry! I don't know what he's going to do, I-' I was shouting in his head, but Enfermo pulled his leg back and kicked Zoë in the stomach as hard as he could.

Zoë clutched her stomach and fell onto her side, cringing and whimpering. Her arms went limp as she passed out completely. In Enfermo's head, I screamed, 'NO! This isn't right! I have... To... Get... Control...' I thought, struggling to get back into my own body.

I heard a faint thought. Enfermo's, obviously. He was screaming. In agony. His eyes were squeezed shut, and now he was screaming on the outside, too. Suddenly, his-no, _my_- eyes flew open.

I had _commanded_ control. Take _that_, Frida.


End file.
